So I just found out some plastic bags are treated with animal fats or other animal by-products. It sounds like it's typically shopping bags that get this treatment, but in general any kind of plastic might have this.I know there comes a point you just have to suck it up and tolerate certain things, being that it's pretty hard to avoid it in everything. But the thought of gt;eatinglt; from something treated with animal fat is really bothering me and grossing me out. I am concerned about cereal bags and plastic bottles. Does anyone know more of what plastics are treated this way? Maybe it's not in the cereal bags or bottles as much? And say they are, can this by product absorb into the food just by being in it?Thanks!
no. it can not absorb into the plastic
Items inside the plastic can be affected by the chemicals used in the processing of the plastic itself. That is why companies do not want you to reuse water bottles, due to the benzene and other chemicals in the plastic itself. When you place a PET bottle in direct sunlight with water inside or in a hot car, the PET slowly degrades or losses the molecular weight of the polymer allowing for harmful chemicals to be introduced into the water or juice inside. In regards to cereal located in a household environment temperature, one should not worry about the chemicals leaching inside the products within the container. Heat, Light and Mechanical stresses allow for chemicals to leach within the food we eat from the containers we use that are plastic. In regards to the animal fat being used when processing plastic, in general slip agents are used when manufacturing in order to increase the timing of the plastic bags being manufactured. Slip agents are generally burnt off and very small amounts are being used .5% 1%, when the product is completed it would be as low as .01% left, when processing most PE the temperatures are above 200 F. So the fat is burned off or has a very low amount left over in the actual bag. It is sanitary or they would not use it. If you are concerned about this, you should also be concerned with the cereal you are eating.
